Westfield, state police reenact accident that took the life of Michael Ryan, 7

WESTFIELD – State and local law enforcement, as well as officials from the Hampden County District Attorney’s office, spent Tuesday morning reconstructing the May accident that took the life of a seven-year-old city boy.

The state police collision analysis reconstruction section, Westfield police traffic bureau and Assistant District Attorney Jim Forsyth were at the scene of the fatal accident on Montgomery Road where it intersects with Crown and Pochassic streets to reenact the accident that took the life of Michael Ryan as he pedaled his training-wheels-equipped bicycle in the crosswalk from Pochassic Street to the New Corner Market while his mother watched.

From 8 a.m. until noon, officials reenacted the accident paying attention to all details, including incorporating the use of a similar bicycle ridden by a young boy about the same age as Michael and bringing in the same dump truck under which Michael’s body was pinned.

In a team effort, Westfield police blocked the area and diverted traffic as the dump truck, owned by Moose Meadowbrook Excavation, was examined by a state police truck inspector while his colleagues logged measurements and photographed the scene.

District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni said accident reconstruction teams on the state and local level chose to stage the reenactment on a day with weather similar to that on May 20 and went through the careful procedure in search of answers.

“We wanted to try and reenact the accident under similar circumstances to understand what happened and come to some conclusions,” he said

Among the data gathered from the exercise, Mastroianni said, were visual observations, calculations on speed and braking distance and how long it would have taken the dump truck to come to a stop based on differing speeds.

“All that goes into the analysis,” he said, and added that results from Tuesday’s reenactment could be available in anywhere from one to several months.

“We don’t want to rush things, but I do want the results within a reasonable time period,” Mastroianni said. “We need to give thoughtful analysis and consideration and rely upon the reconstruction expertise of local and state police involved.”

On May 21, the day following the accident, Mastroianni issued a statement identifying Michael, who would have turned 8 on June 4, and said “information indicates the truck attempted evasive measures before contact was made,” Mastroianni said.

No charges have been filed against the driver of the truck, who was unharmed in the accident.

Michael was riding his bicycle near the intersection when he was struck by the front end of the truck at about 3:36 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.